Adieu, Paris! Today we come to the end of ONBC’s discussion of Hemingways’ A Moveable Feast. Thanks to all for another great discussion and here’s to many more to come!

We have some partying to do next week in celebration of ONBC’s 5th birthday. Keep a sharp eye, Noodlemantras…there is a treasure hunt on the horizon!

And now…our final question.

Johnny Depp speaking to reporter Jeff Hayward in an interview conducted in early 2000:"When I was a kid reading Ernest Hemingway’s reminiscences of Paris in the 1920s, I thought, 'That's what I want to do. That's where I want to go.' Now I'm there and I love it."

He may not be there as much as he would like to be lately but what do you think was the appeal of Paris in the 20’s? Does it appeal to you? If so, why?

Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming -
Wow! What a ride!

Gee, I am sad that another book discussion is coming to an end. This one was very interesting to me not only because its background was Paris but because of all the interesting Americans who were living there at the time. I think Johnny learned about Paris not only from Hemingway but all of his beat authors who also lived there. So many of the people he read and looked up to lived there for a time that he felt the attraction himself though their writing, a lot like we do even today. In the 20's it was a place of beauty that inspired a certain freedom for those who wanted to create. Johnny is one of those creative soles that the place obviously appealed to and meeting Vanessa was the icing on the cake.

"If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went." Will Rogers

Well, I have to say that Paris always appeals to me for various reasons. There are a lot of things I associate with Paris..... art, fashion, music, the language, bohemianism, open-minds, Johnny. I don’t think I ever thought much about Paris in the 20s until Johnny mentioned it. I was rather uninformed about expatriatism at that time….or maybe I had just forgotten. Regardless, I found it quite fascinating and entertaining to read about these characters.

You can't judge a book by its cover.

The only thing that matters is the ending. It's the most important part of the story.

Perhaps it was the acceptance of creativity that appealed to Johnny when he was younger. We know he wasn't happy when he was a kid, so the romance of Hem and Hadley's new love, the history of Paris, and the abundance of creative people would have been very appealing. Hmm, and the acceptance of outsiders.

My problem with anyplace during the 1920s would be my awareness of what was on the horizon. The Depression, the Holocaust, WWII . . .

Adieu, Paris? Wouldn't you rather say "à bientôt?" (See you soon!)

I can't believe another discussion is over, and I must say again what I always say to our moderators and my fellow ONBCer's--you all rock! Thanks so much for making this the place it is!

I think all the things you all have mentioned would be a draw. I was there over 25 years ago and it is a magical and beautiful place.

gemini, we saw a lot of connections in this book. That was one of the things that made is so interesting for me, the interrelationships of authors and ideas. I really enjoyed doing the research on this one!

Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming -

Wrote well in spite of himself, eh? That's a good line. Is the Portrait of Hemingway an article written for the New Yorker or a longer work that was excerpted in the magazine?

Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming -

Is the Portrait of Hemingway an article written for the New Yorker or a longer work that was excerpted in the magazine?

[

My copy of the article is in paperback format (interesting actually - the edges of the book are rounded, making for a very attractive feel) published by Avon in 1961. It includes these notes:

This Portrait originated as a Profile in The New Yorker, published May 13th, 1950.

The author's preface to this book, in abridged form, was broadcast by the B.B.C. as part of the program "Tribute to Ernest Hemingway,"and by the Voice of America as part of the "Arts in America" series, in July, 1961.

Thanks for the info, Buster. I wish we could start Dreameaters sooner but the upcoming holidays require our real world attention! But belay that shame, degradation and sloth! We do have a little activity planned coming up very soon.

Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming -

Most creative people I know feel as if they were born in wrong place and time. Even if you accept that you are different, we are all social creatures that want to find our place in the world.

Despite art and invention being a solitary endeavors,the wellspring of creativity that community brings help it flourish. Through most of history politics, religion and culture have conspired against artistic expression: subversive voices, pure voices, authentic voices have been easily marginalized or completely silenced. Every once in a while the forces that constrain and bring order to society fail to take root or turn a blind eye, and a bit of chaos and tolerance gets embraced. There have been scant moments in history when moon and stars aligned in this way. Florence during the early Renaissance, London during the Restoration, New York City in the 50s, San Francisco in the late 60s… and of course Paris from the turn of the century into the 20s. I'm sure there are a few more.

That fact the Hemingway could spend his days writing in cafes and kibitzing in studios with other writers and artists is a far cry from, oh I don’t know… a musician spending his days sitting in a LA warehouse full of telemarketers trying to sell ballpoint pens.

"You can't broom out your head. You certainly can't broom out your heart. And there's a hot wire between them, and everything shows in the eyes."
—Johnny Depp